On July 17, 2006, police in Houston, Texas arrested 48-year-old Cathy Kruppa for shoplifting and found a needle. A field test was positive for heroin.
On July 20, 2006, Kruppa pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to a charge of possession of heroin. She was sentenced to 30 days in Harris County Jail.
In November 2010, Houston police crime laboratory tests on the substance seized from Kruppa were negative for the presence of any controlled substance.
In February 2016, the Harris County District Attorney’s office conviction integrity unit, which had been working for more than two years to clear a backlog of negative test results, filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus jointly with Kruppa’s defense attorney.
On March 17, 2016, a trial court judge recommended that the writ be granted. On April 27, 2016, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted the writ and vacated Kruppa’s conviction. On May 26, 2016, the prosecution dismissed the case.
– Maurice Possley
|